Are you in “fire-fighting” mode? If so, read this. Yes, it’s okay to pretend it’s on fire, if that means you’ll read it.
The more you fight fires, the more everything looks like a fire.
Do you feel a dopamine rush after a fire well-fought?
You know you do. We all do. Here’s the problem with that:
The more fires you fight and win, the more the people you’re leading will see you’re happy with yourself; they’ll read the success and victory in your eyes, in your unspoken gestures; they’ll hear it in your accolades, “special shout out to Evelyn and Damien for that 18 hour shift of bug fixes for x client” or “great job to Ammi for saving the day on last minute H2 planning docs!” and you know what they’ll do?
Good followers will start fires that only you can put out, or fires that have flames high enough or hot enough to achieve your notice--after all, that’s what gets your attention and appreciation.
People will start fires, so you and they can be successful. It’s what people do who aren’t actually fire-fighters for a living.
Fire-fighting mode is just plain bad for you.
It’s like being in crisis all day--your quick, primitive brain is in full motion; your slow, intentional, thoughtful brain takes a back seat. It stops working. Your cortisol levels skyrocket because your brain believes its immediate job is to keep you alive. Your adrenaline is on high volume, and your cardiac function is kicked up. In short, this pace throws your limbic system into a panic. Over an extended period, heightened cortisol levels stop fluctuating and establish a “new normal” of high alert--interrupting sleep--because your brain is literally saying, “IF YOU SLEEP THE WHOLE PLACE IS GOING UP IN FLAMES! WAKKKEEE UPPP!!!”
It’s adaptive and critical to why we’re all here today, having outlived our wooly mammoth friends, but it kills creativity, empathy, problem solving and partnership. And good health.
Reactivity breeds reactivity.
Take time to stop, think, recalibrate--to rest from doing and allow your brain to do one of the things it does best: Think. Think systemically, side to side, up and down. Give your brain oxygen and space, time, and your respect. Think fire prevention--think smoke-free, easy breathing, intentional planning.
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Corey Jamison brings more than 30 years of experience partnering with executives and teams around the globe to drive dramatic, sustainable organizational transformation. She has worked with leaders at all levels of some of the largest brands, and offers a level of experience, acumen, partnership and courage that inspires leaders and teams toward the hard work of taking it to the next level.